Essential Oils, DIYs and Tasty Treats!

Hi, I’m Karen, and I’m an addict

It’s true. From the moment I tried lavender oil on my feet before bed, and slept like a baby, I was hooked and needed all of the oils I could get my grubby little hands on! I was on a mission to:

With this blog, I commit to share with you the many benefits/uses of essential oils for improving your lifestyle, uplifting your mood, relaxation, mental focus, making do-it-yourself personal products that can save you a ton of money, and more!

In case you’ve been living under a rock, there is a LOT of buzz in the world of essential oils right now, and their many health benefits. From my sources (I have sources!), we apparently haven’t even scratched the surface of their many benefits. There is so much to learn and I will be a student for life. I will also be sure to provide you with as much information as I can on the safety in using these potent oils the correct way.

But here’s a little background story about me. I mean, most people will probably never read this post…so I could basically say that I am an alien named Bork from the planet Pluto (is it still a considered a planet? At first it was, and then it wasn’t, and I think we are back to it being a planet again?) Anyway, my point is, while no one may read this, I still want to share my thoughts? It’s therapeutic and junk, you know?

In about 2010, I was suffering from all sorts of symptoms, and basically felt like I was falling apart. I visited a nutritionist, Dr. Mitchell, for over 2 years (2-3 times per month), who detoxed me from mercury and a plethora of other toxins that build up in my body over the years. Like many Americans, I was pretty abusive to my body thanks to a horrifying diet of McDonald’s, Mexican fast food and those horrible $2.00 frozen meals-in-a-box. Oh, and I can’t forget to mention all the Slim Fast shakes I drank daily!

Dr. Mitchell taught me healthier eating habits, and it did help some of my symptoms. For a while. But then my family had some hiccups, major ones, that brought back the horrible anxiety and depression I had suffered years before. I had been off of my meds for 4 years, but it looked like, at this point, that I needed to go back on them. I wasn’t jumping for joy about that, but the meds did help me feel normal again.

Some years went by, still on these 2 drugs, and my sugar/carb cravings grew insanely intense. I’d find myself buying cookies, ice cream, etc., everyday, multiple times per day. Anything coated in sugar, or made with sugar, or even turns INTO sugar when your body metabolizes it (like breads, potatoes, cheese, etc.), was my true love. It was sickening really, but also frighteningly hard to overcome! I had gained 20 lbs, and my health was declining again.

Long story short, I’ve had multiple tests from various doctors on my gastric system, my blood, my thyroid, etc., but no doctor could figure out what was wrong with me (unfortunately, I’m still paying for those tests…and probably will be for a long time…can I get an Amen? Or perhaps a check made out to me for $5,000? Thanks.)

Then a lightbulb went off – my symptoms were not from any specific health problem…they were side effects from Viibryd (my anti-anxiety medication). Viibryd was pretty new to the market when I started it. Despite all the horrible reviews, I gave it a try….for 4 years. While it did help my mood and nerves, it had the usual laundry list of side effects, that slowly crept up on me until I didn’t realize they were side effects anymore, and thought I was just very unhealthy.

I’ve listed the lovely laundry list of side effects below (and added some of my own notations, which I believe Phizer should add to their warning label:

SIDE EFFECTS MAY INCLUDE: actions that are out of control, anxiety (Really?? Because I thought by taking this drug I would not have that problem anymore.), burning, crawling, itching, numbness, prickling, “pins and needles”, or tingling feelings, chest pain or discomfort, extra heartbeat, fast, irregular, pounding, or racing heartbeat or pulse, irritability, shakiness in the legs, arms, hands or feet, talking feeling, and acting with excitement, trembling or shaking of the hands or feet, diarrhea, dizziness, dry mouth, nausea, trouble sleeping, abdominal or stomach pain, abnormal dreams (MORE LIKE DEMONIC NIGHTMARES!!), aching or discomfort in the lower legs or sensation of crawling in the legs, acid or sour stomach, belching (Um, belching ALL DAY LONG, EVERY 5 MINUTES would be more accurate), blindness (Seriously, now why would a pesky little side effect like BLINDNESS be a problem for anyone?), bloated or full feeling, blurred vision, change in taste, difficulty with moving, drowsiness, dry eyes (They forgot to mention “SEVERE” dry eyes, as in needing a prescription of Restasis to combat side effects of my prescription. Make sense? I didn’t think so either), excess air or gas in the stomach or intestines (more like so bloated you appear 9 months pregnant), feeling jittery, headache, severe and throbbing, heartburn (as in, needing a prescription of Prilosec to fix it.), increased or decreased appetite (YA THINK?? 2 cookies with breakfast, a dessert at lunch, and then ice cream after dinner is borderline Compulsive Eating Disorder, in my honest opinion), increased sweating (more like, move to North Pole or never feel dry again!), indigestion, loss in sexual ability, desire, drive, or performance, loss of appetite (yeah…okay…), muscle pain or stiffness, night sweats, not able to have an orgasm (Um, I won’t go there), pain in the joints, passing gas (HAH! More like a hot air balloon will quickly fill your intestines and any one in the room will feel the vibrations, if you catch my drift?), restlessness, sleepiness or unusual drowsiness, stomach discomfort or upset, unusual tiredness or weakness (more like, you will be dragging yourself through life by the skin of your teeth) and vomiting.

Ok, so I may have been a little dramatic….but come on, that list of side effects is ridiculous.

I can proudly say, that today I am fully weaned off of Viibryd (yay!), and am working on weaning off of Wellbutrin next month. Thanks to healthier food choices, natural products, natural remedies, etc., I am getting by just fine. And I’m no longer shelling out over $100/mo. for Phizer to slowly murder me.

It has taken me years to incorporate healthier foods into my diet, remove bad foods from my diet, and to attain a love for using/making my own products. I’ve had a poop-load of failures along the road, but I feel I am on the right track…finally. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it!!!

I hope my blog can give you ideas to improve your lifestyle, improve your mood, make you chuckle and just feel plain alive again. 🙂